Asus ROG Ally X Review: The First Real Steam Deck Rival (2024)

It’s been seven and a half (long) years since Nintendo released the Switch. In that time, my relationship to the hybrid handheld has declined from obsession to a begrudging acceptance of its limits. I’ve watched Valve release multiple iterations of the Steam Deck to increasing praise, and the number of Windows handhelds goes up each year. None of that matters anymore, though, because I’ve found the one that works for me.

The Steam Deck OLED is an awesome device, but I don’t have a massive Steam library, and that handheld runs on SteamOS. This whole time, I’ve been waiting for the gaming device of my dreams. One that will let me take my console and PC games on the go. With the Asus ROG Ally X, the dream is finally over. It’s a reality now.

Like any reality, the ROG Ally X comes with its own set of complications and ways it varies from expectations. I’ll let you know now that none of that has been enough to exhaust the wonder from my eyes every time I pick this thing up. It’s a powerful handheld with excellent battery life and ergonomic grips that don’t kill my wrists. The best part is that it doesn’t feel restricted to one ecosystem. As someone who is always playing something, the ability to take more of my digital game library on the go has been more than a game-changer. It’s been a life changer.

First impressions: Mighty tech with a learning curve

This is not the first Windows-based handheld from gaming laptop giant Asus. But like most sequels in gaming, it comes with a load of improvements that make it impossible to go back to the original.

The original Republic of Gamers (yes that is what ROG stands for, regrettably) Ally came in two models with two different CPUs, one a Ryzen Z1 and the other a more powerful Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The latter still stands toe-to-toe with a Steam Deck OLED in terms of performance. The ROG Ally X even uses that same processor (and screen), but the new handheld is optimized to help you play longer. The original Ally wasn’t much of a travel companion. From improved battery life to better ergonomics to help you hold it longer, to more storage space for your games, longevity is what this sequel is all about.

In 2024, these older components still hold up. The 120 hertz variable refresh rate screen is gorgeous and justifies itself as a touchscreen. Without it, navigation might be an issue, since using Windows without a mouse can be a nightmare. Outside of games, there are some inconsistencies in input detection when navigating apps. I would be able to use the right thumbstick as a mouse at one moment, and the next it would only accept button inputs. The touchscreen is a reliable solution, but even with it, this can be annoying. Once you’ve got a game running, though, the rest is typically seamless.

Battery life and ergonomics: Game comfortably for hours

The device comes with the Xbox and Steam apps pre-installed, along with three months of the Game Pass Ultimate (the one with PC games). I was pretty content to only play games on Games Pass and my Steam library, given how effortless the integration of those two platforms already was. Downloading other launchers like Epic Games Store is easy. And, if you want to go this route, the handheld does support... less legal ways of gaming.

No matter what I was playing, I was focusing on that, not thinking about my hands, where they were, and whether they hurt or not. That’s perhaps the highest compliment I can pay to the ROG Ally X as an ergonomic handheld. It feels good to hold and the back buttons are present, but not intrusive if, like me, you don’t use them.

The battery life on the ROG Ally X is the best I’ve seen on a handheld PC—it might even outdo the Steam Deck OLED. Pretty much every game I tried fell into one of two camps. If I’m playing what I’ve dubbed a “high intensity game,” (does it make the fan go immediately?) I can get two to three hours of gameplay without a charge. For “low intensity games,” (can I play for at least 30 minutes without any fan activity?), I could likely get anywhere between six and eight hours.

Software and what's worth playing

At this point, it stops being helpful to not talk about what I actually spent time playing. When my love affair with my Nintendo Switch was at its peak, it was the perfect place to play indie games. In this way, the ROG Ally X is a perfect successor.

I spent a great deal of my time with the Ally X testing out Game Pass selections ranging from minimalist indies like The Case of the Golden Idol and Chants of Sennaar to games that required more precision and reflexes. Seriously, I have played most of Neon White on this thing. That is a mouse-and-keyboard ass game, but it’s smooth and easy to play on the Ally X. I dabbled in more graphically demanding titles including some Yakuza/Like a Dragon games and Fallout 4, none of which had any issues. They all ran great, the fans stayed quiet while the handheld stayed nice and cool.

In terms of playing massive, new, cutting-edge games, well, you’ll be able to, so that’s a start. I’ve seen critics praise Ally X for making games like Alan Wake 2 now run at acceptable frame rates. You’ll feel the difference between an inconsistent frame rate between 15 and 30 and a relatively steady 32-36 fps, but even at its best, this isn’t the way to play those games. Anything like Elden Ring or Cyberpunk 2077 is best played on a PC or a current-gen console.

Cooling and keeping quiet

At least these titles gave me a good chance to test the fans and cooling system on Asus’s latest handheld. Once again, comfort is clearly key in this design, since the only part of the console that really gets hot is not close to where you’re holding. While playing those aforementioned AAA titles, or even the demanding puzzle game The Talos Principle 2, the fans did indeed get loud. It was nothing too distracting, but they were certainly working hard.

Clearly, the ROG Ally X is a thoughtfully designed machine that knows its audience will test it to its limits. And when it exceeds them, it won’t turn into a molten rock in your hands.

What if I’m new to PC gaming?

I haven’t hidden the fact that I’m relatively inexperienced in PC gaming. That makes parts of the ROG Ally experience intimidating, and frankly, I know I’m not taking the most advantage of the fine-tuning and optimization that PC gaming allows. A lot of that is because so many games run optimally by default.

I first played Elden Ring at an early demo event for the Ally X, and it was virtually unplayable. But even by using the basic optimization controls to toggle between the three operating modes (turbo, performance, and silent), my amateur ass managed to make the game run better at home. There are enough basic tools, including an FPS limiter and quick Control Mode swapping, to make newbies feel like they are in control.

Asus’s default app, Armoury Crate, helps make organization easy by keeping all your games in one place. If you want to download or update a game you still need to launch the individual programs, but Armoury Crate serves its function as a quick launch alternative to loading your desktop up with icons. In the past, the app has not been without its haters but the latest version is much improved.

My final verdict

I love my ROG Ally X and, unless there's Tears of the Kingdom DLC, it will probably be the only handheld I use for the foreseeable future. It's comfortable, not too bulky or heavy, and runs games for hours at a time. It's a perfect indie game machine for me that also happens to be able to run more demanding titles when I'm craving immersion and graphics intensity. It is easily a great Windows alternative to the Steam Deck OLED. In some ways, it's even better. And... it's also nearly twice the price.

Aside from price-point, there are real caveats to this recommendation. In addition to some inconsistencies when navigating the Armoury Crate app and web browser, the device also doesn't reliably suspend your game when you need to put it down. Sometimes it will go to sleep more quickly than others, and you can't just leave your games running like you can with a Switch OLED or Steam Deck and expect to launch right back into them. For most gamers, these quibbles are minor, but worth noting when Asus is asking $800 for a gaming machine. If that's a deal breaker for you, stay away. If, like me, this doesn't matter as much, get that credit card out.

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At Esquire, we’ve been testing and reviewing the latest and greatest for decades. When it comes to tech, do hands-on testing with every gadget and piece of gear we review. From Amazon Echo speakers to PS5 accessories, we’ve tested the best products—and some not-so-great ones too, because that comes with the territory.

I tested over two dozen titles in my process for this review. I’ve spent over 20 hours in the past month gaming on the Asus ROG Ally X and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.